New Beginning
by LadyBeck
Summary: Bella has escaped the abusive home she grew up in to attend a music college in Chicago. Edward, abandoned by his mother at a young age, has a temper that's hard for him to control and attends the same college. He's a pianist, she's a singer, they both have issues. Can they help each other, or is Edward's anger and Bella's fear too much to overcome? AU, AH, OOC, eventual lemons.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hello! Welcome to my very first fanfiction! I've been reading fanfiction for about ten years and finally decided to suck it up and write one, haha. I've tried before, but couldn't get past a few paragraphs before giving up. Sad face.**

**I feel really excited and confident about this story. This idea has been stuck in my head for almost a month now and I guess the only way to stop thinking about it is to write it! I'm in this one for the long run, so I hope you enjoy!**

**P.S. I don't have a beta for this fanfiction. I tried finding one in the beta section here on this site and it was really overwhelming. So I decided to just start posting my story and if anyone has beta'd before and feels like they might want to beta for me, well I wouldn't oppose the idea :)**

**WARNING: There are mentions of physical abuse in this story. I don't go into graphic detail. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight**

* * *

Chapter 1

_Bella_

In the backseat of a taxi is not where Bella Swan should have been on the day she turned 18. She should have been asleep in her bed resting up for a day filled with your standard 18th birthday activities; cake, presents, general celebration, buying a lottery ticket and cigarettes just because you can, maybe even going to a club for the first time. But those things wouldn't be happening. In the early hours of her 18th birthday, Bella got into a taxi cab and drove away from the house she grew up in, not even taking a backwards glance.

"Where to?" the gruff voice of the taxi driver startled her out of her thoughts. His eyes caught hers in the rear view mirror and she quickly averted her gaze out of the window.

"Airport." was her quiet reply.

Thankfully that was the extent of their conversation. She welcomed the silence and allowed her thoughts to drift once again.

The fresh bruise on her left side throbbed painfully and she couldn't help but think of the events in her life that lead to this moment.

Bella and Renee Swan lived in a little house on a quiet road in sunny Phoenix, Arizona. Renee was a single mother, having left Bella's father before she was born. Bella knew his name, and that he lived in Washington, and that he had no idea she existed. But that was okay with her because she had her mom. Their life was simple and easy. Renee was a painter and owned her own gallery in town. It wasn't much, but it payed the bills and kept food on the table. Bella fondly remembered the times when she would sit and watch her mom paint, how her curly brown hair trailed down her back and over her shoulders, the way her blue eyes squinted as she sat back and inspected her work, or the little wrinkle that formed in between her perfectly arched eyebrows when she was concentrating really hard. At seven, her mother was her world and her biggest role model. She could do no wrong...

Until she did.

When Bella was eight Renee met a man. She'd had boyfriends before, sure, but this one was different.

"He makes me so happy" she would say to Bella with a wide smile, a smile she always seemed to have after meeting Phil.

That was his name, Phil Dwyer. Phil was a handsome man around Renee's age with sandy blond hair and bright blue eyes. He had a nice smile that made the area around his eyes crinkle. He made her mom happy, so he was okay in Bella's book. He played baseball for a minor league team, a fact that Renee was completely enamored with. Bella remembered bragging to all of her friends in elementary school that "My mom's boyfriend is a professional athlete." It was ironic really, because Phil Dwyer was nothing to brag about.

He and Renee had been dating for about five months and things were good. Phil would buy Bella ice cream whenever she wanted and he let her play with his baseball and bat. He was charming, and funny, and her mom was completely in love with him. So when he proposed to her on their six month anniversary, naturally she said yes.

That was the day Bella realized that her mom was a human capable of making mistakes, because saying yes to Phil was the biggest mistake she could ever make.

As soon as they were married, which ended up being a small court house wedding a week after he proposed, Phil changed. He wasn't so nice anymore. He would get irrationally angry at every little thing and scream at them. If Renee tried to defend herself he would slap her across the face. It hurt Bella to see her mom with bruises and sad eyes. Bella was terrified of Phil even though he never got physical with her. At first, that is.

The first time Phil hit her was something Bella would never forget. She was laying on the living room floor coloring. She was using a bright blue marker to fill in Cinderella's dress, when her pen ran off the side of the page and onto the white rug. It left a vibrant blue streak, very easily noticeable. Panic welled in her chest as soon as it happened and she tried desperately to get the stain out with soap and water, but had no luck. Phil inevitably saw the mark later on that day and was livid. His face turned red and he balled up his fists as Bella cowered in pure fear. That first hit was the worst, probably because she wasn't used to the pain. He punched her right upper arm, leaving a large black and blue bruise that took weeks to fade. She was nine.

He always hit her in places that would be covered up by clothes.

The abuse never stopped. Verbal, physical, mental, and emotional abuse was all Bella knew from the time she was eight years old. Renee retreated within herself, drinking all the time and sleeping while leaving Bella to fend for herself. Phil eventually stopped bothering with Renee, he knew he couldn't get any kind of reaction out of someone that was always passed out. Bella loved her mother and always would deep down, but somewhere along the line she lost all respect for her. Her mother who was once so happy and full of life was gone, replaced instead by this empty shell of a human being who forgot all about the daughter she should have been protecting.

It was around the age of eleven when she decided that as soon as she turned 18 she was leaving. That was her light at the end of the tunnel. No matter how bad it got, no matter how much she hurt or how many bruises she had to hide, she would be free one day.

In the middle of her Senior year, Bella saw a brochure for the Chicago College of Music pinned to a bulletin board at her high school. She didn't even think twice before she ripped the brochure off of the board and stuffed it in her bag. Singing was Bella's passion. It was her escape from the Hell she lived and the idea of going to college to do what she loved most was very appealing. And she would be far away from Phil.

She worked for a full week getting the application, admission essay, and audition tape ready. With the help of her High School's chorus teacher, she was able to submit a decently recorded audition piece.

The day she got her acceptance letter she cried. She was going to get away from here. She was going to escape this madness.

Her guidance councilor helped her fill out financial aid paper work and guided her on how to go about applying for loans. She would be up to her neck in debt, but it would be worth it. And by some miracle she was able to do all of this while flying under Phil's radar. He and her mom had no idea that soon she would be gone out of their lives forever.

That's how Bella ended up in a taxi on the way to the airport to fly to Chicago. She was terrified, of course, not knowing what to expect. She was a nervous wreck.

The taxi pulled up at the terminal.

"That'll be $35"

Bella hastily handed the driver a wad of cash mumbling for him to keep the change and exited the vehicle. Duffle bag in hand, she headed into the airport.

It was only when she was 10,000 miles above the ground that Bella was finally able to somewhat relax. She was safe, for now. Phil couldn't get to her up here, and he had no idea where she was going.

Comforted by those thoughts, Bella fell into a dreamless sleep as the plane carried her closer and closer to her new beginning.

* * *

**A/N: Reviews make me happy**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello again! Well, here's chapter two. This one is longer than the first. I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of reviews, follows, and favorites I got from the first chapter! I wasn't expecting anything really. **

**One thing I'd like to point out: Chapters focusing on Bella will have "_Bella_" at the top. Chapters focusing on Edward will have "_Edward_" at the top. **

**I hope you all like this chapter!**

**WARNING: There are mentions of physical abuse in this story. I don't go into graphic detail.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight**

* * *

Chapter 2

_Bella_

The wind whipped Bella's hair around her face as she stepped out of yet another Taxi and onto the crowded Chicago sidewalk. They weren't kidding about it being "the windy city." The ride from O'hare airport to the Chicago College of Music was twenty minutes of pure palm sweating anxiety. What if she got lost? What if there was a mistake and she actually wasn't accepted? What if she ended up being the least talented person at the school? All of these doubts and insecurities did nothing to help Bella's already frazzled state of mind.

With Less than 400 enrolled students The Chicago College of Music, or CCM, was very small. If she remembered correctly from her research of the school it was the smallest college in Illinois. At least she wouldn't be getting lost, she thought as she looked at the campus before her- it consisted of two big buildings, one of which was student housing. Bella headed into the building where she would be attending classes.

"Welcome to CCM!" A bubbly girl with curly blonde hair chirped at her from the front desk as soon as she walked in. "I'm Jessica! How can I help you?"

Bella immediately felt a sense of comfort around the effervescent receptionist. She liked happy people, they never yelled.

"I'm Bella Swan, I'm a new student." Bella wanted to match Jessica's upbeat personality but opted instead for her usual quiet mutter. She was too shy.

"Oh! You're here bright and early! Excited to get the year started?"

She laughed and flipped her hair, obviously not expecting an answer as she quickly continued on to explain Bella's itinerary for her first day at CCM. There were no classes to worry about today, but she definitely had a full day ahead of her. Apparently there was a tour she was supposed to take at some point, then she had to get an ID made, lunch was at noon, a two hour long assembly in the auditorium after that, then a show put on by upperclassmen as a big "Welcome to the Chicago College of Music, we're super talented and you should be intimidated."

She also had a dorm room she was supposed to find. Bella got extremely lucky in that department. The person that was supposed to be her roommate dropped out last minute- a family crisis or something along those lines. Whatever it was Bella didn't care, because that meant she got her own room. The dorms at CCM were coed, seeing as there was only one building to house students and it was a coed college. Bella went to an all girls school in Phoenix, so she wasn't used to being around guys. Now she would be around them all the time.

Bella shuddered at the thought. At least she would have a place to privately freak out in if need be.

Lost in her mind, Bella didn't realize that Jessica was talking again.

"Sorry, what did you say?"

"Not a morning person, huh? It's okay, me neither!" Jessica kindly assured her while handing Bella her itinerary, class schedule, and room key. "I was just saying that you can go ahead and find your dorm and get settled. The tour doesn't start until 10:00 this morning so you have plenty of time to unpack and get a cup of coffee. There's a Starbucks half a block away, very convenient!"

Bella smiled at Jessica and agreed that coffee sounded really good right now, even though she didn't drink the stuff. She was just trying to come off as normal as possible. In reality Bella probably wouldn't venture the half a block to Starbucks or anywhere off campus for that matter. Not anytime soon at least. Thoughts of running into an angry Phil in the streets of Chicago flooded her mind and she shivered, rubbing a fading bruise on her wrist. No, she wouldn't be taking any chances.

Papers and key in hand, Bella waved goodbye to a smiling Jessica and headed over to the student housing building to find her room.

It took approximately ten seconds to find her room once she entered the student housing building. She was in room nine, on the first floor. Bella inwardly did a happy dance with all the luck she was having regarding her living situation.

Her room was small, a fact that was not at all shocking to Bella. Sun streamed in through the two windows on the wall opposite of the door. She walked over and was happy to see a quaint park a short distance away. A few students were scattered around laying in sunny patches of grass on what was actually a beautiful Summer day. With a content sigh she turned back to the room.

There were two twin sized beds already made on either side of the wall- one next to the windows, which Bella decided would be hers for now, and one next to the door, and two desks next to each bed. Bella briefly toyed around with the idea of pushing the beds together to make a Queen sized bed, but decided to deal with that little project later. Continuing to look around the room she saw that there was a big closet with sliding doors and a chest of drawers inside on the wall adjacent to the beds, and next to the closet was a door that led to a small bathroom with a toilet, sink, and shower.

Apart from the two bulletin boards over each desk, the walls were blank and would probably remain that way. Bella didn't bring her posters and other decorations from home and seriously doubted she would be obtaining more, so the walls would have to be boring. She was a pretty boring person though- the walls matched her personality, she thought bitterly.

Bella began unpacking what little personal belongings she had. A few tops, a couple of skirts, a few pairs of jeans, and one black dress were all of the clothing she brought. Bella never was one for fashion. She placed the framed picture of her mother she stole from home on the desk next to her bed. She smiled sadly at her mom's happy face and wished she could go back to a time when her mom always looked like that.

After putting all of her toiletries away, Bella collapsed down on her bed and looked out the window. She concentrated on the way the tree tops swayed in the breeze and felt her eyelids begin to droop. It was 8:30 am, she had about an hour before she had to meet for the tour. A nap couldn't hurt, she had been up for almost 24 hours after all.

* * *

Bella's tour group consisted of about 30 students, girls and guys. They were just one of the groups, three other groups of 30 would be touring different areas at the same time. She stood at the back of her group to make sure she didn't bump into anyone. So far no one had tried talking to her.

"Hey, my name is Alice." A voice to her right said. Bella inwardly sighed, she spoke too soon.

"I'm Isabella, you can call me Bella though." Bella said, giving the girl a shy smile.

The girl smiled kindly at her and Bella began to relax a little. Alice was tiny, shorter than Bella's 5'2 frame. She had short jaw length black hair and bright blue eyes. Her face was all small pointed features, she was beautiful. Her makeup was perfect, her clothes were expensive looking, and Bella was no fashionista but everyone recognizes a Prada bag when they see one. Bella felt self conscious.

"Well Bella, I think we're going to be great friends!" Bella stared at her. Why would she think that? Why would anyone want to be friends with her? "What room are you staying in?" Alice asked excitedly.

"Uh, I'm in room 9, first floor."

Alice squealed and Bella stared at her in shock. "I'm in room 10, right across the Hall from you! It's like fate!" She threw her hand across her forehead in a dramatic gesture and Bella couldn't help but laugh a little. This girl was a character.

The tour started before Bella could say anything in response.

Alice stayed next to Bella, making comments about the tour guide under her breath the whole time. Bella found herself genuinely liking Alice. Maybe they would be friends.

For being such a small college, CCM had a lot of great attributes. For instance, the practice rooms looked like little slices of heaven. Sound panels lined the walls, the doors had special soundproof seals around them, each room had a wall that was one big mirror, there was a baby grand piano in each room as well, and comfy looking couches that would be great for napping during long practice sessions. Bella couldn't wait to use one of those rooms.

The second and third floors were all practice rooms, with a total of 50 rooms. Bella couldn't even imagine how hard it would be to get one of those rooms around exam time. Luckily they were available 24 hours a day.

The rest of the building was used for classes, apart from the large auditorium on the first floor. Finding her classes tomorrow would hopefully go smoothly. It couldn't be too hard if they were all in the same building.

The tour ended an hour later, and Bella was almost doubled over laughing at Alice's impression of the tour guide. She shot then a mean glare and Alice finally decided to stop being obnoxious.

"So, I have to go to the second floor to get my ID made, what about you?"

Apparently there were multiple ID making stations. "I'm getting mine made in the Auditorium."

"Darn! Well I guess I'll see you at lunch then. Save me a seat!" Alice waved goodbye and headed up to the second floor. Bella smiled at the thought of having a friend, her first friend. Life was already getting better.

After getting her ID made, Bella still had 30 minutes before lunch started. She decided to explore a little.

Heading up to the third floor, Bella was excited to look at the practice rooms a little closer.

As she walked down the hall, she could hear music coming from one of the rooms-the door wasn't closed all the way. She stopped walking. The song caused a flood of memories to wash over her. It was Claire De Lune, someone was playing it on the piano. Bella's mother would play this song on repeat in her studio while she painted. Tears sprung up in Bella's eyes as her mother's smiling face flashed in her mind. God she missed her.

Bella crept closer to the door. The closer she got the more mesmerized she became. Whoever was playing was amazing. The piece flowed perfectly, just the way Debussy had meant for it to be played. She leaned forward and placed her ear against the crack in the door, only to hear a squeaking noise. She had accidentally pushed the door open a little with the weight of her head. She froze and the music stopped.

Without warning the door flew open. Bella jumped back in alarm.

"What the fuck! Can't you see I'm trying to practice!" an angry voice filled her ears and Bella's heart started pounding.

The most beautiful person she'd ever seen was standing in the door way, blazing green eyes glaring down at her.

"Well?" he demanded.

"I-I'm sorry- the door was cracked a-and I just..." She trailed off miserably, withering under this beautiful boy's anger. Angry people made Bella go to a bad place.

"You should be sorry!" He yelled.

Bella squeaked and flinched back. No no no no no no please stop yelling. Please stop yelling. Tears quickly filled her eyes and she looked down at the ground. She heard a sigh and quickly glanced up at angry guy.

He was running his hands through his reddish brown hair and it looked like he was trying to calm himself down by doing...breathing exercises? It didn't seem to be working though and his face was getting red.

Bella was terrified.

"S-Sorry. Sorry to have bothered you" she managed to get out another apology before bolting down the hallway, and far away from the angry pianist.

She barely heard the slamming of the practice room door through the blood pounding in her ears. She didn't stop running until she found a bathroom on the first floor next to the auditorium. Only after she locked herself in a stall did she allow her tears to fall. Her heart was racing and her breathing was labored.

He was so mad. He was mad at her! She shivered as she remembered the look on his face, his angry fuming glare. Bella had to stay away from him. Angry people were dangerous, it was a fact. They would only hurt you, and Bella had been hurt enough to last a life time.

She sat in that stall for twenty minutes before she finally calmed down. After splashing her face with water, she headed out of the bathroom and to the lunch room, still very much shaken from her encounter with the angry but beautiful boy.

* * *

** A/N: So she met Edward for the first time...and it didn't go all that great. Don't be discouraged by Edward's shitty behavior! He has his issues, all which will be explained in due time. And he WILL get his act together, eventually. **

**Reviews make chapters come faster!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I would like to take this time to give a special shout out to my beta reader, SunflowerFran! This is the first chapter she has edited for me and I am so grateful for the second pair of eyes. She pointed out things I never would have thought of, and I am very happy she is working with me on this story!**

**This chapter is all Edward :)**

**WARNING: There are mentions of physical abuse in this story. I don't go into graphic detail.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

Chapter 3

_Edward_

"Shit"

He cursed as he watched her quickly retreating form. He blew up again. Breathing exercises be damned. He was angry with himself, his therapy sessions had been going so well. He was proud to be able to say he had been keeping his anger under control, and now..."Fuck it."

He slammed the door and went back to the piano.

He mentally cursed her for interrupting him. He wasn't good with interruptions, especially when he was practicing.

Now he felt like shit.

He had scared her; he could see it in her eyes- her haunted brown eyes. They watered when he yelled, and it brought him out of his red haze, just barely; enough for her to come to her senses and run away.

He slammed his fists down on the keys, making an ugly jarring chord.

Why did he have to be so fucked up?

Edward Cullen was the master of self-loathing. He had this funny habit of getting uncontrollably angry. Really he was just angry with himself, but he took it out on other people. His adoptive parents started him in therapy when he was sixteen, after he beat a kid's face to a bloody pulp for bumping into him in the hallway in school. Three years later, and he was still seeing that damn therapist, and he still hated himself.

Dr. Jenks said he had 'anger management issues' that stemmed from 'early onset feelings of abandonment and resentment.' Whatever the hell that meant.

Once upon a time, Edward was a seven-year-old kid living with his alcoholic mother. She got wasted one night and passed out. That night, she choked on her own vomit leaving Edward to fend for himself until the neighbors noticed a funny smell coming from apartment B. Edward went into the foster care system, and was adopted by two wonderful people he thought he didn't deserve. The end.

Carlisle and Esme Cullen were saints. They took one look at a broken little boy with a temper, and said, "We want this one."

Maybe they thought they could help him, heal him, fix him.

They thought wrong. Edward was beyond fixing, and today was proof enough of that.

One of the best things Carlisle and Esme ever did for Edward was introduce him to the piano. He picked it up like some kind of goddamn prodigy. At nine years old, he was playing pieces that college age students had a difficult time executing. And he only got better from then on. It was only natural that he would go to college for music since he excelled a it. It was just too bad it didn't help him control his temper ... the whole reason he started in the first place.

No, that's what the breathing exercises were for; to control his temper. And they had been working for the past few weeks. Edward would start getting angry about something, and he would do what Jenks told him- in through the nose, out through the mouth, count to ten, repeat. It worked. At least he thought it did.

A buzzing sound filled the room, and he looked down at his phone.

Tanya.

Edward groaned as he opened the text.

_BB why haven't you called me since last night? I had a grrrrreat time. You were so hawt ;)_

Edward groaned again. Tanya Denali was the clingiest person he had ever met. She was totally unaffected by his temper, which he had let slip around her numerous times. She must have been too blinded by lust to realize that Edward was an ass and that she shouldn't want to be with him.

Yes, he had fucked her ... a few times,but that didn't mean he wanted a relationship. He slept with girls, it's what he did. It provided a much needed release for him in a way that playing the piano didn't. He wasn't ashamed of it, and he didn't expect the girls he slept with to stick around, just like they shouldn't expect him to.

He received another text.

_Babyyyyyyyy! :(((((_

He shook his head and turned his phone off. He turned back to his piano and continued playing.

Today was the performance for the new students coming into the school. He remembered last year when he had to sit through that nonsense. He had been bored out of his mind, and felt no sense of intimidation what so ever, from the skills the upperclassmen showed. He was better than they were, and he knew it.

And during his Freshmen year at CCM he made sure everyone knew it. Edward became somewhat of the 'golden boy' on campus. Meaning that the teachers loved him and fawned over his talent, and everyone wanted to be his friend.

Edward didn't want friends, though. He remembered having to constantly brush people off before they finally realized that he was a loner and wanted it to stay that way. People were still in awe of him and often stared, but he couldn't control that.

A knock on the door brought him out of his thoughts.

"What?"

A blonde headed boy appeared in the doorway.

"Come on Ed, let's go get lunch or something. You've been in here for hours."

Jasper Hale, Edward's one and only best friend, was always trying to get him to spend less time in the practice room and more time being a normal human being- by doing things like eating and actually sleeping.

"Sure, sure, I'm done anyway. Some chick interrupted me, and now I can't focus."

"Uh oh, I hope you didn't scare her too bad Eddie boy." he chuckled. Jasper knew of his anger issues and always tried making light of the situation. If only he knew how accurate he was this time. Edward shook his head, trying to clear away thoughts of terrified brown eyes.

He packed up his stuff and headed downstairs with Jasper.

"So Alice is looking good. I uh, ran into her while she was on her way to get her ID made."

"Don't fuck with my sister Jazz," Edward said seriously. Jasper was a decent guy, but he was like Edward when it came to women. He didn't want Alice being a 'one and done"' for Jasper, despite the fact that Jasper had been crushing on Alice for years.

"Hey man, I can't help that your sister is a hot piece of-"

"If you know what's good for you, you won't finish that sentence." Edward warned. Jasper just laughed and shrugged his shoulders.

"Whatever man."

They continued walking down the street until they reached a local diner that made the best burgers in Chicago. Edward felt his stomach groan in hunger, and it made him realized it had been over twenty-four hours since he'd eaten. He really had to stop doing that, it only made it harder to control his temper.

They found an empty booth near the back and ordered their usual.

"You ready for that performance today?" Jasper asked him through a mouthful of fries.

"Of course. I could play Clair de lune in my sleep."

"Oh yeah, how could I forget Mr. Musical Genius over here. It's honestly not fair, us normal folk have to actually have to put forth the effort, and you're over here practically drowning in natural talent." Jasper shook his head in fake disapproval.

Jasper also played piano, and he was amazing; just not as amazing as Edward.

"Don't feel bad man. Hey, if it makes you feel better I'll 'accidentally' mess up a few notes in today's show." Edward joked. They both laughed and continued eating.

After they had both been fully sated, they headed back to CCM. Edward insisted on heading back up to the practice room, and Jasper reluctantly parted ways with him.

Edward spent around eighty-five percent of his time in one of those rooms just playing for hours. Time would just slip away when he was in his zone, and before he knew it, five hours would have passed. He often had trouble sleeping, and would spend most nights playing, until his fingers cramped. But he would continue to play until the sun came up. Playing piano took him to a place where he could forget all the shit in his life and just...relax. It was addicting. If only it helped soothe his angry soul.

Entering his sanctuary, Edward sat at the piano and placed his fingers above the keys. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, allowing his mind to empty if only for a little while. Before he began playing, a pair of brown eyes flashed in his mind. He frowned a little, why was the girl from earlier still in his head? She was nothing special.

He pushed the image away and started playing. Music filled the room and wrapped around Edward like a cocoon, and he felt himself melt into the song. Unaware of everything, Edward finally relaxed, if only for a few hours.

* * *

**A/N: So there you have it, a look into Edward's mind. It's pretty dark in there.**

**Chapter 4 will be up next Sunday!**

**Reviews make the world go round :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey there, folks. It's that time of the week again, so here's another chapter! **

**Special thanks to my wonderful beta, SunflowerFran, for fixing all of my punctuation and grammar mistakes :)**

**WARNING: There are mentions of physical abuse in this story. I don't go into graphic detail**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

Chapter 4

_Bella_

The cafeteria was teaming with new students. Bella scanned the area for any sign of Alice, and quickly spotted her sitting at a round table in the center of the room.

She was about to head over, when she noticed that Alice wasn't alone. She was sitting with an attractive looking boy with shaggy blonde hair. Alice was laughing at something he said as he grinned down at her triumphantly. Bella seriously considered bolting out of the cafeteria, right then and there. She wasn't ready for more male interaction after the horrific experience she just had with angry piano boy.

She didn't' have time to make a final decision though, because Alice suddenly looked up and noticed her standing in the doorway.

"Bella! Over here!" Alice excitedly waved her over, and Bella, not wanting to seem rude, walked over to join her.

"Hey Alice," she muttered shyly once she reached the table. She sat down and placed her bag at her feet, avoiding eye contact with the other occupant at the table.

"Bella, this is Jasper. Japser, meet Bella."

"Hey there Bella, pleasure to meet you," the boy, Jasper said. Bella noticed he had a slight southern drawl to his voice. She absent-mindedly wondered where he was from before replying.

"Nice to meet you, too." She allowed her eyes to meet his quickly, before looking back down at the table.

There was a brief but awkward silence, and Bella mentally slapped herself for being so socially inept.

"Well, I've gotta go Al. I promised Ms. Cope I'd help her set up for the assembly." Jasper said, not seeming too enthused about his task. Bella found herself relating to him. He was a people-pleaser, just like herself. She always did things she didn't necessarily want to do, and lacked the ability to say no to anything.

"Aw, okay. Well are we still on for tonight?" Alice seemed genuinely disappointed that he was leaving.

"Sure thing. I'll meet you at your room around eight."

"See you then, Jazz!" Alice waved at him and batted her eyelashes.

"Bella." Jasper nodded in her direction and smiled. She gave him a tight-lipped smile in return. Jasper seemed affable, but Bella wasn't comfortable around him. Phil had seemed nice at first too. A shiver ran down her spine at the thought of that monster.

"Aren't you hungry, Bella?" Alice asked once Jasper had left the cafeteria.

"Um, no. I'm fine." Bella wasn't lying. Her appetite had been ruined by her earlier incident.

"Bella you have to eat! You're too skinny- here," Alice put half of her sandwich on a napkin and placed it in front of Bella. "Eat!"

Bella really didn't want to, but, like the people-pleaser she was, she caved.

"Thanks Alice, you didn't have to."

"That's what friends are for, Bella."

Bella's heart swelled at Alice's comment. Friend- she had a friend. Bella felt brave enough to strike up a conversation.

"What are you here for, what do you study?" She asked.

"Oh, I play violin. My mom and dad are extremely musical people. I had a violin in my hands before I could walk. What about you?, what do you do?"

"I sing. I'm an Alto."

"Oh! I would love to hear you sometime! I bet you have a remarkable voice ... you have that vibe about you, ya know?" No, Bella didn't know, but she nodded her head yes anyway.

"My brother goes here too; he's a sophomore this year. He plays piano."

Her thoughts flashed to angry piano boy.

"Is he any good?" Bella asked.

"Good? Try phenomenal. He's better than some of the professors here. And he knows it, that cocky ass." She laughed a light, bell-like sound. "I used to be extremely jealous of him. I mean, he picked it up so easily! He doesn't even need practice, even though he basically lives in the practice rooms here." She shook her head and took a sip of her coke.

"If he's so amazing, why is he here?"

"Our parents are adamant that we complete our education. That and the fact that it would look awful if the CCM's biggest donors had children that didn't go here, or anywhere."

"Oh, wow. So your parents must be rich."

"Yeah, I guess. We definitely aren't your typical snooty rich people, though. We still have souls." They both laughed.

Conversation flowed easily between Bella and Alice for the remainder of lunch. They mostly talked about Alice, which suited Bella just fine. Every time Alice would ask her about her parents, or her childhood, she would give non-committal answers and change the subject. Bella suspected Alice realized that her past was a touchy subject, because eventually she stopped asking those kinds of questions and focused instead on topics like hobbies and favorite TV shows- safe things like that.

Once lunch had ended, the two girls followed the flow of students heading towards the auditorium. Bella was dreading having to sit through the two-hour long assembly. What could they possibly talk about for two hours?

Due to Alice's insistence that they sit up close, Bella found herself seated front and center. Alice said she wanted to be able to see her brother without heads in the way.

Alice was basically jumping up and down in her seat. Bella couldn't help but be excited about the performance too. She didn't quite know what to expect, but she knew that it was going to be amazing. CCM was known for producing impeccable musicians, after all.

A tall balding man came onto the stage, and all of the chatter slowly filtered away. The man stood at a podium and cleared his throat.

"Welcome, new students, to the Chicago College of Music. I am thrilled that you have all chosen CCM as your place of continuing education ... "

Apparently, a lot can be talked about for two hours. After Mr. Banner, who Bella learned was the Dean of the college, made his intro, multiple people took the podium to speak, including some up and coming composer that Bella had never heard of. Everyone was boring and long-winded, and she had a hard time not nodding off. Her lack of sleep over the past twenty-four hours was quickly catching up with her.

Just when she thought it couldn't get any more boring, the end of the assembly was announced. People started clapping, and Bella liked to think it was because they were all happy it was finally over.

They were allowed a brief intermission, during which Bella took the opportunity to use the restroom. She and Alice took turns going so that they wouldn't lose their spot.

Once everyone was back in their seats the lights dimmed, and the curtains opened to reveal a small chamber orchestra. They began with a piece by Vivaldi, and Bella let her self get lost in the music.

That was how the concert went; various groups, and sometimes soloists, performed a variety of music- ranging in theme from classical pieces to modern day songs.

"Ugh, Tanya. What a bitch," Alice whispered to Bella. "She loves hanging all over my brother, it's sickening." Bella turned her attention to the pretty strawberry blonde that was walking on stage.

She sang "Popular" from the musical _Wicked_, one of Bella's favorite Broadway shows. She was amazing, and Bella felt a sense of inferiority while watching Tanya perform. She was graceful and full of confidence- things Bella would never be. After she had finished, the crowd cheered loudly. Tanya blew kisses to the audience and made a colossal spectacle of bowing, and strutting off stage. Bella could tell she thought she was all that.

"Edward is up! He's the finale!" Alice nudged against Bella's shoulder causing her to wince in pain. The hand-shaped bruise that had been there for weeks was still sore. Alice gave her a questioning look, but Bella brushed her off and focused her attention on stage, where a baby grand piano had appeared.

Seconds later a tall figure walked on stage and Bella gasped.

It was angry piano boy!

He was Alice's brother.

This was just downright unbelievable. The one friend she had managed to make was related to the person who yelled at her and made her cry.

Edward sat down at the piano and closed his eyes. Bella was entranced by his beautiful profile- all strong jawed and masculine. She felt her face flushed at her thoughts. He lifted his hands to rest on the keys, and began playing the same piece he had been practicing when Bella interrupted him earlier ... Clair de Lune. Bella's eyes welled with tears at how beautifully he played. She felt as though she was once again back in her mother's studio watching her as she painted.

"Isn't he amazing?" Alice leaned over and whispered.

"Yeah ... So amazing" was Bella's dazed reply.

The piece reached a crescendo, and Edward's body leaned in towards the piano and out again, flowing with the music. She was transfixed on Edward's fingers flying over the keys.

The piece came to an end, and people started applause. Edward looked out at the audience and gave a small nod of appreciation. He was scanning the crowd, seemingly looking for someone, when his eyes caught Bella's without warning. Her heart stopped, and time seemed to stand still as his gaze burned into her. He stared at her for what seemed like a lifetime, but what was actually no more than five seconds, before shifting his gaze to the left and smiling at Alice.

Edward stood and bowed to the audience before exiting the stage.

Bella's heart finally started beating normally again, and when the blood stopped pounding in her ears she realized Alice was talking to her.

"... Like it? Bella, are you listening to me?"

Sorry, Alice. What were you saying?"

"Did you like Edward's performance?"

"Oh, yes! It was unbelievable. You weren't lying when you said he was phenomenal."

Alice continued to chatter on about how much she loved the concert as they exited the auditorium. Bella was still somewhat in shock. He had looked right at her. She wondered if he remembered her from that morning. She certainly hadn't forgotten him.

Bella and Alice reached the student housing building

"Well, this is where we part ways neighbor." Alice said once they had arrived at their rooms. "I have plans tonight with Jazz, but we definitely should hang out some time. Maybe tomorrow after class?"

Bella nodded her head, yes. "That would be awesome, I can't wait." She genuinely couldn't wait to spend more time with her new friend. "I'm exhausted, I have literally gotten two hours of sleep in the past day and a half, so I'm going to go and pass out now."

"I bet, what with flying all the way here from Arizona. Jeez Bella how are you even conscious right now?" Alice joked. "Well I'll see you tomorrow. We can walk to class together."

Bella enthusiastically agreed, and bid Alice good night.

She immediately stripped out of her uncomfortable jeans and threw on some sweatpants. She crawled into bed and snuggled deep under the warm blankets. The past day had been hectic. It seemed like years since she had fled from her house, when actually it had only been half a day. She wondered if her mother noticed she was gone ...I f she even cared. Bella knew better though- Renee was probably passed out drunk on the couch. She wondered how Phil was doing without his punching bag there. He was probably livid. She pushed thoughts of Phil and her mother out of her head, or she would have nightmares from them.

Her thoughts drifted to Edward.

Edward, the angry piano boy.

Edward, Alice's older brother.

She still couldn't believe her rotten luck. Even though she was afraid of him and his obvious temper, she was resolute in the fact that she wouldn't allow Edward's outburst to chase her away from being friends with Alice.

Hopefully she would have some decent luck for a change. She knew their paths would have to cross at some point; after all, he was Alice's brother. However, she hoped it would not be for quite a while.

She closed her tired eyes and was asleep within minutes.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you liked it! **

**Reviews are the reason I get up in the morning.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello dearies! I've missed you ... Even though it's only been a week. Thank you, as usual, for all of the lovely reviews. They seriously make me so happy, and validate what I'm doing here! **

**Thank you SunflowerFran for fixing all of my mistakes!**

**Here's Bella!**

**WARNING: There are mentions of physical abuse in this story. I don't go into graphic detail.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight**

* * *

Chapter 5

_Bella_

The following morning, Bella woke up at six o'clock, feeling refreshed after a much-needed thirteen hours of sleep. She realized that it was the longest and soundest she had slept since she could remember. Back in Phoenix, she always had to worry about waking up excessively early every morning to make breakfast for Phil, and still have enough time to make it to school promptly at seven-thirty. Each night she would be up well past a regular bedtime, doing the ridiculous amount of chores Phil required of her, and then completing whatever homework she had. Those two schedules combined meant that Bella was used to getting very few hours of sleep at night, and what sleep she did get was usually plagued with nightmares. It was a living Hell.

But she was away from that now.

She got out of bed and stretched. The early morning light was shining through the open blinds of the window, and Bella thought it gave the room a peaceful quality. It put her in an excellent mood.

Her first class started at eight that morning, so Bella still had two hours of free time to do as she pleased.

She showered quickly and got dressed for the day. She picked out a pair of dark wash skinny jeans and a loose-fitting burgundy sweater, to hide the bruises. She longed for the day when all of her bruises would be completely faded, and she could wear whatever she wanted. For now though, long sleeves would have to do ... Even if it was Summer.

After running a brush through her hair a few times to get rid of any tangles, Bella slipped on a pair of comfortable black flats. She then grabbed her well-worn copy of Sense and Sensibility, and headed out the door.

Since it was such a lovely day, Bella found herself headed out to the courtyard area she had noticed from her window the day before. She would spend her remaining time before class there, then head back to her room to meet up with Alice.

It was early, so hopefully very few people would be out and about.

Once in the courtyard, Bella spotted a perfectly shaded spot of grass to sit in. It was underneath a giant oak tree, that looked to be about one hundred years old. This was the type of tree protesters would chain themselves to , should someone try to cut it down. It was beautiful, and regal, and it was perfect to sit under and relax.

Living in Phoenix, Arizona her whole life, Bella should have been used to the sun and being outdoors. The sad reality though, was that Bella spent most of her time indoors over the past eleven years, ever since Phil came into the picture. She remembered her mother and her going on outings to playgrounds, and to the beach. She used to build sand castles and Renee would add all the seashell details, making it perfect.

Phil hated going anywhere that wasn't the bar down the street or over to one of his friend's houses for poker. After Phil and her mom married, the only places Bella went were to school and to the grocery store.

From her spot under the old tree, Bella sat peacefully and read. No one ventured into the courtyard, a fact which pleased Bella greatly. Fewer people meant less anxiety.

At fifteen minutes until eight, she realized it was almost time to meet Alice. she stood and brushed the grass off her jeans, before heading inside. Bella didn't know whether to wait for Alice to come out of her room or to knock on her door. She decided to wait in her room for five minutes longer before making a decision.

As she set her book down on the dresser, she caught her reflection in the mirror. As it turned out, sitting in the shade of the gigantic tree didn't totally protect her from the sun's rays. Bella now had a light smattering of freckles across the tops of her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. She hadn't seen those freckles since she was a little girl. She was happy they were back since she had always loved them. Her mother used to tell her that her freckles were kisses from angels, and it made her feel special.

She smiled and touched her cheek.

A knock at the door broke Bella from her reverie.

Alice.

"Coming," Bella called.

She grabbed her bag and opened the door to greet Alice.

"Good morning, Bella. Excited for a day full of music and learning?" Alice asked sarcastically. Bella noticed her sleepy eyes and the way she couldn't stop yawning. Apparently, Alice wasn't a morning person.

Bella laughed. "Of course, I love music and learning." She earned a scowl from Alice.

"Bella, why don't you look as exhausted as me? It's not even eight yet."

"Oh, I've been up since six."

Alice gasped as if she had just heard the most horrible news.

"Six? How is that even physically possible?"

Bella didn't want to delve into how her body was used to waking up ungodly early to do Phil's bidding, so she went with an easier explanation.

"I guess I'm just a morning person."

Alice shook her head and muttered something under her breath. Bella distinctly heard the word 'crazy' somewhere in there.

"Anyway ... Jasper and I made things official last night." Alice said, perking up as she mentioned Jasper's name. Bella gave her a confused look.

"Official ... As in we're officially dating now. Come one Bella, get with it!"

Bella didn't know the first thing about dating, or the lingo attached to it.

"That's great Alice. Is that why you met with him last night?"

"Yeah, he took me to this little Italian restaurant down the street. We had a long conversation about what we wanted, and we both decided that what we want is each other. Isn't that so cute?" Bella nodded her head yes and smiled.

"How long have you and Jasper known each other?" Bella asked.

"He and Edward have been friends since they were fourteen ... So five years now. It's crazy, it doesn't seem as though it's been that long. Oh and speaking of Edward, he can't know about Jasper and me, he would flip out."

"Well it won't be me who tells him." Bella promised.

Alice continued to prattle on about how amazing Jasper was. Bella smiled and commented at all the proper times, but would rather have talked about anything else but Alice and her love life.

The two girls parted ways once they had reached the cafeteria. Alice had Music theory 101 on the first floor, and Bella had Music History on the fourth floor.

Music History was boring ... but that wasn't exactly a surprise. Bella was actually very well versed in her knowledge of music and its history. She had read nearly every book on the subject of music in her high school's library. To say that this class would be easy would be an understatement.

The professor talked about Bach, Telemann, Vivaldi and other influential composers of the Baroque period. Bella listened and studiously took notes, as there would be a quiz later in the week.

After Music History Bella's next two classes, Music Theory 101, and Music Theory Lab, flew by. Music theory was another one of Bella's strong suits. Her high school chorus teacher had often praised her about how naturally it came to her. Apparently, it didn't come so easily to a lot of people, and required a significant amount of studying.

It was noon by the time Music Theory Lab was over, and Bella's stomach was making growling noises.

Luckily she had an hour and half before her last class of the day and could finally eat something.

Bella had a bit of money saved from birthdays and other holidays. Phil often intercepted the mail she and her mother received and would take any money he could find. There were a few occasions over the years, though, where Bella had been able to successfully sneak a card here and there. She had a total of two hundred dollars saved.

Leading up to her leaving for college, Bella had worried endlessly about how she was going to make that two hundred dollars stretch. She knew realistically she couldn't make it last the four years she would be at CCM, but she wanted to make it last as long as possible. She couldn't ask her mother for money, for obvious reasons, and she shuddered at the thought of finding a job.

That's why, when Bella got her ID made, she was immensely relieved to hear that a portion of the tuition went towards a meal plan. When she bought food in the cafeteria, all she had to do was swipe her ID, and she would be good to go. She was happy that she would be well fed while attending CCM, a luxury she hardly had while living with Phil, who would often deny her food as punishment.

Bella entered the packed cafeteria and quickly decided to get her food and take it back to her room. The idea of being alone in her room and not surrounded by strangers was suddenly very appealing.

Putting her plan into motion, she went to the shortest line, which happened to be subs and sandwiches. She got a turkey sub, a bag of chips, and a bottle of water. As she was exiting the cafeteria, she heard an obnoxious squealing laugh off to the side. She swiveled her head in search of the noise and saw the girl who performed the song from Wicked, Tanya was her name, hanging all over Alice's brother.

Her heart rate picked up at the sight of Edward, and she hurried out of the doors before he could spot her. Avoiding him was clearly going to be impossible on such a small campus. Bella walked quickly over to the student housing building and only relaxed once she was in her room with the door locked. She realized how stupid it was to let Edward affect her so much. However, she couldn't help it that he scared her. She pushed those thoughts aside and ate her lunch, while once again reading her favorite book.

* * *

An hour later, after she was full and rested, Bella headed out for her last class of the day. When she had registered for classes months ago she was especially excited about this one; Introduction to Classical Piano. She had always wanted to play an instrument, and loved the way piano sounded, so it was only natural for her to sign up for Piano.

The class was located on the fourth floor, and as she trudged up the last flight of stairs, she was kicking herself for not taking the elevator. Out of breath, she walked down the hallway to the room number listed on her schedule.

Bella had overestimated how long it would take her to walk from her room to the class. She was fifteen minutes early, but she decided it couldn't hurt to head inside and find her seat. She walked in, and immediately stopped dead in her tracks. She fought every impulse in her body that told her to run.

Alice's brother was intently writing something on a piece of paper, sitting at a desk adjacent to the professor.

This was not good.

... Not good at all.

Edward was in her class.

* * *

**A/N: Don't you just hate it when an author leaves you hanging? I know I do. ;)**

**And before anyone says anything, no Edward isn't ACTUALLY in intro to piano ... he's far too brilliant for that. You'll just have to stick around until next week to find out what he's doing there.**

**Reviews are better than chocolate!**


End file.
